Bell, J. (2007, May). The politics of mainstream media and the challenges for independent media. Presented for the WorldBoston organization to visiting Ukrainian journalists. /
Bell, J. (2007, March). America’s Next Top Model is…?: The changing face of beauty. Presentation for the Boston College Women’s Resource Center and the Office of AHANA Student Programming. /
Bell, J. (2007, February). Contemporary images of Blacks in the media: Is it déjà vu? Presentation at Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL.

Research
Interests:

Jamel Santa Cruze Bell’s (Ph.D., University of Kansas) research and teaching interests revolve around the study of race, ethnicity, and gender, specifically questioning the extent to which dominate discourses like media influence and contribute to the social construction of race and gender as well as the reproduction of social inequality. Through a critical/cultural lens, Dr. Bell interrogates these images focusing on the sociopolitical, power, and economic considerations that drive the depictions and the issues of identity that may result. Dr. Bell has presented her research at many scholarly conferences nationally and internationally as well as in local communities. She has written multiple book chapters and has articles published in journals such as the Howard Journal of Communications and Race, Gender, and Class. Dr. Bell is currently working on two book projects, including a co-edited volume that focuses on the work of media mogul, Tyler Perry, and a solo-authored book examining the role of race and new media in apologetic discourse. In addition to her focus on research, Dr. Bell is also an award-winning teacher who views the classroom as a “safe haven” where multiple and diverse perspectives are encouraged, discussed, and critiqued.